By Dustin Cabeal

My preference is to have two individual reviews rather than combo up two issues like this review is doing, but I’m a bit behind on reviewing this new series from Scout Comics. To start with, both issues are available on their site already or through you LCS. The first issue just hit, so you’re not that behind, not like me and this review which I wanted to be done much sooner. Damn you time and your accursed ways!

At any rate, the zero issue is important to the story, but I can see why they made it a zero issue instead of the first. It takes place mostly before our story begins and so it’s a hard shift from the zero issue to the first issue. It works and is completely acceptable because of the numbering if it had been this hard of a shift from one to two, that would be different and far too jarring.

I’m going to spoil one aspect of the zero issue, but I would encourage you to read it since it has a ton of heart and the writing is damn good. The gist is that we have an ABC Family situation here and two kids are switched at birth. Since I want you to read the damn zero issue, I won’t tell you the circumstances of why or how they were switched.

It’s important to note this because the story follows the Guardian of a village as he’s raising his son to one day take his place. Only his son isn’t his son and there for not meant to take his place. Unbeknownst to him, his daughter is being raised by a greedy shopkeeper. She’s in a very Cinderella situation in which the rest of the family leaves all their shit for her to take care of and she’s sad and lonely. Meanwhile, the switched boy sucks at magic and such and keeps summoning evil spirits instead of his spirit protector.

The story is extremely kid friendly, but it was so well written that I clung to every page wanting to read more. This secret drama that as the reader, we’re one of the few that about it and that is just strangely interesting. The writing is smooth as it bounces back and forth. There’s a bit of humor as well that suits the book. It’s easy jokes, but they land and give the story personality.

The art is a strange creature. I don’t think I would like it if it weren’t attached to this story. It works here, and I enjoy it here, but it's not a style I usually latch on to when reading. It works particularly well for the kids in the story as it gives them all a youthful appearance and keeps them from looking like weird shrunken adults. This was the same compliment I gave Super Sons #3 this week. If you can illustrate kids to look like kids, that’s a huge damn win in my book. The coloring fits the style and gives the world a Saturday morning cartoon feel, which is a compliment.

I’m very curious to see where this story is going. Not just because of the secret, but because the world that it’s slowing building is interesting and fantasy based. If you like stories set in fantasy worlds that have some drama and star kids, then you should absolutely check out Little Guardians. And if none of that sounds like your bag, then try it anyway and expand your bag.

Score: 4/5

Little Guardians #0-1
Writer: Ed Cho
Artist: Lee Cherolis
Colorist: Ginger Dee
Publisher: Scout Comics